Flora of New Zealand Series

P. gelida (L.) Lindsay, Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 25: 536 (1866).

Lichen gelidus L., Mant. Pl. 1: 133 (1767).

Lecanora dennanensis Zahlbr., Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien math.-naturwiss. Kl. 104: 348 (1941).

Lecanora dennanensis. Lectotype: New Zealand. Wellington, Tararua Range, Mt Dennan, 1200 m on rock. E. Chamberlain 189, CHR 347947!

Thallus determinate, effigurate, ± lobate at margins, orbicular at first becoming confluent, spreading in a crust, to 8 cm diam., saxicolous, very rarely muscicolous. Marginal lobes closely to ± loosely attached, contiguous, separated by cracks to 0.1 mm wide, 1.5-2.5 mm long or extending to centre of thallus, areolate-cracked centrally, apices uneven, rounded or crenulate, sometimes with a narrow, olive-brownish peripheral zone. Upper surface ± areolate-cracked, areolae irregularly angular, ± swollen or plane, 0.6-2 mm diam., glaucous, whitish, creamish or olive brownish, smooth, matt, epruinose, sorediate. Soredia scattered, central, rounded or radially elongate, eroded or plane, often irregularly confluent, granular, olive-greenish or whitish. Isidia absent. Cephalodia discrete, central in young thalli, scattered in older plants, sessile, 1-3(-8) mm diam., orbicular, radially folded and cracked, yellow-brownish to red-brown, matt. Apothecia rare, scattered, sessile, orbicular, 0.8-2 mm diam., thalline margin thick, prominent, entire, matt, proper margin occasionally visible, thin, entire, pinkish-red or brown, disc plane, smooth or minutely scabrid, dark pinkish to yellow-brown or red-brown, often white-pruinose, matt. Hymenium 110-200 µm tall, pale sordid yellowish or granular-nubilated in upper part. Hypothecium colourless or faint pinkish. Ascospores uniseriate or subbiseriate, ellipsoid, 12-20 × 6-13 µm. Pycnidia immersed in slight swellings, ostioles brown-black, 0.1 mm diam. Conidia filiform, straight or curved, 15-27 × 0.5 µm. Chemistry: Cortex K- or +, C+ rose; medulla K-, C+ red, KC+ red, Pd+ red or -.

N: Wellington (Ruahine Ra., Tararua Ra.). S: Nelson, Westland, Canterbury, Otago. Subalpine or alpine both east and west of Main Divide, on rocks and stones rarely among mosses on sandy soil, rather polymorphic.

Bipolar